THE DEER HUNTER

THE DEER HUNTER (1978) Directed by Michael Cimino

I'd seen parts- including the ending- before, but tonight I caught all of THE DEER HUNTER on Retroplex, one of the movie stations I get. The first thing I have to say is its a great-looking movie, maybe one of the most attractive movies I've ever seen. And the shots of the mountains where the guys go hunting before going off to war are matched by the shots of their hometown and the homes and steelmills. Another thing: look how young everyone is. Espcially Meryl Streep and Christopher Walken. They look like kids in this movie.

Watching the movie I started to feel a little sad. Not about what was going on on screen but thinking about 1978 and how my parents and aunts and uncles probably saw THE DEER HUNTER on HBO in 1979 or 1980 and how things were so different then and now they're so much older.

Michael Cimino's next movie, HEAVEN'S GATE, was a big failure and hugely over-budget. He had a few more projects over the years, the biggest probably being a remake of THE DESPERATE HOURS (1990) with Mickey Rourke and Anthony Hopkins right before he became Hanibal Lector. I've read stories about how crazy Cimino was while he made HEAVEN'S GATE and how coked out the cast and crew was and I'd like to read the book that was written about its production, Final Cut. I'd also like to see the movie itself.

I've got about 20 movie stations but they never play movies like that. I've always wanted to see ISHTAR too. I hear it's not so bad and is actually kind of funny.

Anyway, this is what I read about Cimino: prior to making THE DEER HUNTER he was interested in doing a remake of THE FOUNTAINHEAD, and, even more surprisingly, he was almost the director of FOOTLOOSE. That would've made for an interesting resume. THE DEER HUNTER, HEAVEN'S GATE, FOOTLOOSE.

Remember, William Freidkin is the director of THE FRENCH CONNECTION, THE EXORCIST, and the video for Laura Branigan's "Self Control".





Note: Tomorrow we'll talk about WILD AT HEART (1990).